“I … I … can’t … lose … her.” Daniel seems to get a little hold on himself for a moment. “I .. need .. her. She ... needs. me to show her … I’m serious about us. I can’t think of how… else to do it ….” As though a little self-clarity has distracted him from his crippling tight chest as he seems to regain some verbal control.

“You can only do what feels right.” I soothe, wandering away from Jake toward the fridge, turning my back on him, my eternal ...